Final answer:
Immunostaining is the process of selectively identifying proteins in cells by exploiting the principle of antibodies binding to antigens. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) and immunocytochemistry (ICC) are examples of immunostaining techniques used to visualize different cell types and intracellular targets.
Step-by-step explanation:
Immunostaining is the most common application of immunostaining in biology. It involves selectively identifying proteins in cells of a tissue section by exploiting the principle of antibodies binding specifically to antigens in biological tissues.
One example of immunostaining technique is immunohistochemistry (IHC), which is used to examine whole tissues. In IHC, labeled antibodies are bound to specific cells in a tissue section, allowing for visualization of different cell types and determining their relative numbers and locations.
Another example is immunocytochemistry (ICC), which is similar to IHC but focuses on intracellular targets. In ICC, cells are fixed and the cell membrane is made permeable to antibodies, allowing them to bind to specific targets inside the cell.